Jury finds former partner not guilty of Shandee murder
Jury of six men and six women takes about two hours to return a verdict
Mackay
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A SUPREME Court jury has found John Peros not guilty of the murder of 23-year-old Shandee Blackburn.
The jury of six men and six women delivered their verdict about 3pm Friday. They took about two hours to reach their decision.
Their acquittal of Mr Peros comes about four years after Ms Blackburn was fatally stabbed in Boddington Street while she was walking home from her Harrup Park Country Club job on February 9, 2013.
Mr Peros, 34, has been on trial in the Supreme Court in Mackay, before Justice James Henry, for almost three weeks, since March 20 this year.
Ms Blackburn's family and friends, including mum Vicki, older sister Shannah and dad Peter Blackburn, have been seen in court since the trial began.
Mr Peros, who was defended by barrister Craig Eberhardt, left the Mackay Courthouse with his lawyer shortly after the jury delivered its verdict.
They answered no questions and drove off in a SUV parked outside the courthouse.
>> READ MORE Family releases statement after not-guilty verdict
Mr Peros had been wearing his long, dark hair in a tight bun during the trial.
Heading out the door of Mackay Courthouse, it was plain to see Mr Peros had literally let his hair down, following years in custody.
During the trial Mr Eberhardt had argued that Ms Blackburn had been killed by former person of interest and prosecution witness, William Daniel, in a bungled, ice-fuelled robbery, and that his client had nothing to do with the stabbing.
He said there was a "compelling case” against Mr Daniel and that police had been "blinkered” in their investigations.
Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips had argued Mr Peros murdered Ms Blackburn in a hate-filled personal attack following a relationship break-up about eight months prior to her death.
He told the court Mr Peros had spoken about stabbing Ms Blackburn at an Australia Day gathering in January, 2013 and that Mr Peros was in the vicinity of the scene on the night of Ms Blackburn's death.
Mr Peros was charged with Ms Blackburn's murder in September, 2014.
It followed an 18-month police investigation, during which the Queensland Government posted a $250,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.
The former champion amateur boxer has maintained his innocence since that time.
He was even spotted at a walk held in Ms Blackburn's memory days after her death in 2013.
Mr Eberhardt said in his closing address during the trial that "all John Peros asks for is a fair go”.
He described the prosecution case as "totally circumstantial”.
"(There) can be no justice if an innocent man is convicted for a crime he did not commit while a guilty man walks free,” he said.
His case was evidently strong enough to convince a jury.
Originally published as Jury finds former partner not guilty of Shandee murder
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